Sunday, March 18, 2012

Spare £9 million anyone?

St Cuthbert was the Bishop of Lindisfarne (Holy Island) in the 7th century, where he was buried after his death. Eleven years after his death his casket was opened to reveal his remains intact. This led to the movement to canonise him.

When the Danes invaded Lindisfarne in the 9th century, the monks took Cuthbert's remains across to the mainland, where they wandered for some years. Ultimately, in the 11th century, a new cathedral was built to house his shrine.


Sr Cuthbert's Cathedral, Durham

When his remains were transferred into his new shrine, this copy of St John's Gospel was found with his body:


The St Cuthbert Gospel ended up in the hands of the Jesuits after passing around various private owners following the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII in the 16th century. Thought to be the oldest European book still in existence, it has been on long loan to the British Library for many years, and has now been offered to them for a coll £9 million. It will then be displayed half of every year at the Library, half at the Cathedral.

Good to know religious groups are so generous. It would be so inappropriate for them to make money out of something holy...

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7 comments:

  1. JoJo5:59 pm

    LOL Where's the proof that his remains were intact after 11 years? lol I think I need photographic evidence of that. ;p

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  2. Anonymous6:52 pm

    I pass Durham and Lindisfarne every year; and have done for the past 25 years :0)

    I believe we just stumped up £45(?) million to 'Save' a painting for the Nation' too. Good thing we have pots of money then.....

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  3. judith7:19 pm

    What a waste of money...How about feeding the starving with it not buying silly books...

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  4. val10:21 pm

    I'm all for saving heritage, I just think those holy men should feed the starving with it the money. Just 'cos old Henry lost it for us doesn't mean we should lose it forever. H

    I think most of the money for this and the £45 million Titian was from public subscription. As someone who used to stand in front of the Titian's companion piece (that it was bought to hang with) for hours on end, I am very glad we have it. Artis really overpriced though. I reall want a Hockney, but that will never happen!

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  5. vikeau10:58 am

    Wow that's like 18 million US. That's alot of dough for such a little book.

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  6. vikeau8:31 pm

    As with these relic stories, I been wondering all day now--why did they dig him up in the first place?

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  7. val10:07 pm

    Wellb, Vikeau, he got moved around a lot. Holy relics did back then - don't forget it was 1400 years ago, things were different then.

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